Climate change is altering our cherished landscapes

Climate change is real. It is already taking its toll on the English countryside. And if it isn’t stopped, within a few decades it will have altered many of our most cherished landscapes forever.

Farming and rural communities are already suffering the effects of wetter winters, more storms, high winds and shifting seasons. As sea levels rise, we’re likely to see dramatic further changes. In the East of England we will lose fens, beaches and probably entire villages too.

Our high-carbon economy, based on roads and airport expansion, and energy-wasting buildings, needs to make way for low-carbon, carefully planned development. We have been championing this kind of development for many years. We’re already seeing what will happen if we do not make the switch. We can still halt further destruction, but we need to take action immediately.

Our view

We urgently need to halt the damage to our countryside, by reducing the amount we consume overall and using our natural resources more responsibly.

We need to use the energy we consume more efficiently and reduce our overall demand for energy to help meet the UK’s target of reducing greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide emissions, by at least 80% by 2050.

Energy companies should be encouraged to deliver energy reduction and efficiency, not simply lower prices. Energy users should be equipped with smart meters and smart grids to see how much energy they use, and selling any excess electricity back to the grid. We want to see checks on fossil fuel production, and renewable or low-carbon energy sources so that communities can produce their own electricity and heat.